Blushing Bride
by Varyssa
Summary: Vorador finds himself enraptured, a shame the woman in question is a vampire hating Sarafan fanatic. Can she be persuaded? Chap 3 up. Please RnR x
1. Head Over Feet

1 – Head Over Feet

I remember the first time I ever saw one of them. Mama took my brother, Vance, and I to a public execution. Vance was still very young at nine and I younger still at six, some might think this too young too attend such a spectacle but at this time it was encouraged to bring children to watch such things. They hoped that it would shock us into the realization that all vampires were evil and that the punishment for hiding them was dire. It worked of course for that day is forever etched into my memory.

I still remember the impassive look of emptiness on the priest's face as he said the feeble prayers for their eventual salvation though we all knew they would be damned. I remember the pleas and cries from the woman as they dragged her to her grisly end. The man walked with quiet dignity but she struggled and screamed against them begging the crowd to pardon her; but we all remained silent. But most of all I remember Lord Moebius' rousing speech calling us all to defend ourselves against this plague that was slowly destroying our land. Those words struck me to my heart and even after all these years I still recall each word, each pause, each cry that warned us all of the danger of these beasts that polluted our peaceful world.

When we all got home my brother and I both declared our intentions to become Sarafan and rid Nosgoth of this pestilence. Mama smiled proudly upon us and said she would talk to the head of the local order that very day and true to her word she did. He visited our home the following evening. I remember him as a short man; not at all what one would expect from a warrior of his caliber. He wore the Sarafan armor even when he was off duty giving him definite presence that commanded respect despite his un-warlike appearance. He smiled down at my brother and I and I could not help but notice that many of his teeth were missing. He explained that the Sarafan were always pleased to recruit new children. Of course we were both too young to join immediately, Vance would be able to sign up for initial training in a year where they would educate him and start teaching him the ways of the sword and from there he would be initiated into the Order where his professional training would commence. It would be six years before he would even be allowed out on patrol duty. I however as a woman was a different matter. The Sarafan had no female warriors however they did have sorceresses. I would start my education at nine the same age as Vance but I would be learned in the blessed and holy arts of magic that would be used to protect my Sarafan brothers during their battles. Until that time, however we would be permitted to visit the order whenever we wished to inspire and harden our resolve against the vampire scum.

Vance was initiated at ten and I followed him in three years later. My initiation was the happiest day of my life. Mama embroidered me a dress of pure white silk with the Sarafan crest above the right breast. She combed my golden hair over my shoulders and smiled upon me with pride. 'I looked as innocent as an angel', she said. It was most appropriate for what I was about to become. She took me to the local stronghold where that same man who had greeted us those years ago. Vance was there, he stood with some of his friends at the side with the same proud smiles that were beaming at me from every direction that day. Some of my friends had arrived to hang at the back of the room to watch. I remembered the days when I had tried to convince them to join the cause but they would not listen; they were too concerned with playing childish games than working for the well being of Nosgoth. Now I was reaping the benefits of the years I had sacrificed play for study. A priest kneeled to my level and presented me with the Holy Book the Sarafan lived by. I placed my hand on it, tiny by comparison and swore myself to the Order. I saw tears of pride stream down my mother's face as I committed myself body and soul to the Sarafan priesthood for all my mortal life.

TBC


	2. 2 AM

Chapter 2 – 2 AM

"Please, kind lady! Please spare us!"

I frowned as I looked upon the creature that addressed me. A vampire we had just found hiding in a building that had once been a prosperous bakery until a tragic fire had destroyed it; now only a crumbling series of walls remained. As it was we had not been bothering to investigate a burnt out building and were now making amends for this folly. A small group of vampires had created a nest there and had preyed on the locals. Now I had stumbled upon them and a woman, from the looks of her recently turned, had fallen to her knees before me begging for my mercy wrongly assuming that I had any for her brood.

"I beg you my lady, please spare us!" She scraped her knees forward so she could touch the hem of my gown, "Please good lady, do not turn us in, not to the Sarafan!"

My lips curled into a snarl as her filthy fingers curled around the edge of my gown so she could kiss it. I snatched it away and muttered a few blessed words under my breath. She howled with despair as a wall of blue flames closed in around her and her sisters; they would not be harmed by it but this would ensure they could not escape. Meanwhile I could hear Vance's shouts from outside the building, "Veronica! Where are you, Veronica?"

"In here, Vance!" I called calmly, refusing to take my cold eyes from the face of the beast before me. Her golden eyes widened as her mouth opened into a silent, empty scream. Vance and my brothers in arms piled into the ruin and came to a halt beside me. I smiled smugly at Vance as he took in the scene before him; three female vampires huddling together from fear of us, trapped in an unyielding circle of holy blue flames.

"Well done Veronica," he said his voice full of admiration, "Release them and we shall take them to the stronghold." I nodded and with a simple word, the mystical fire vanished and my comrades fell upon them. My eyes trained to detect any sudden movement darted between them, a spell on my breath ready and waiting lest they try to attack or escape. It was not needed in the end for their will was broken and they did not even whimper as we took them away.

Upon our return there was a hero's welcome for recently we had captured double the fiends that was expected of our patrol. As a Sarafan I had learned the virtue of modesty (or at least the appearance of it) yet even I could appreciate that it was because of my brother and I that our particular patrol were doing so well. Unlike in other units where the sorceress was used as a support tool only Vance decided early on that my powers of entrapment could be used against the vampires. Therefore he split us up as to cover more ground as opposed to other groups who stuck together. Their disadvantage was that as one if they found a vampire others nearby were alerted and could escape. With us it was different; if I found one who raised the alarm with the others by their damned telepathy then my brothers in arms would be lying in wait for them while I trapped them within the holy fire. It was a bold plan but an effective one nonetheless and now we would reap the benefits of our bravery, for here was our local leader welcoming us both with open arms to praise our feats.

"Vance, Veronica," he announced proudly, "Congratulations," he said eyeing the vampires our support officers were dragging behind us.

"Another nest rooted out," Vance assured him, "It was mostly Veronica." I smiled at this praise which was no more than my due. I did not seek fame but merely sought recognition for my work.

The ageing soldier smiled upon me as a father would smile on a favored daughter before he gestured for us to follow him, "Come, there is someone who would like to see you." I exchanged a curious glance with my brother for neither of us could imagine who would be here to meet us. All our family and friends were here in Uschtenheim, there was no need for anyone to come here for us.

Our curiosity was put to an end when we were ushered into our leader's office. There, admiring the artwork hanging there was one of the six brothers. I had to stifle a gasp when I saw who it was. I recognized him at once from his armor which was of far greater quality than was available than to any other Sarafan. He carried the best of swords and held himself with confidence and determination which seemed to radiate from him. He was one of the six leaders of the Sarafan who answered only to Moebius and lived in our greatest stronghold south east of the pillars. Tales were constantly told throughout the order of their bravery and if we were exceptionally lucky we might catch a glimpse of these legends in our lifetimes. Now there was one in the same room as us! We were truly honoured.

He turned to us and removed his helmet which until now had concealed his features. He had a thin, pointed face with a thin wave of bright ginger hair atop his head.

"This is Lord Zephon," our leader said by way of introduction. Vance was already bowing so I lowered my face to look at the floor and sank into a deep curtsey.

When I arose Zephon was looking at us bemused, "this is it? These are your best? They are little more than children" he asked and I tried not to let my face betray my anger.

"We may be young my lord," I said, my voice too obviously full of disdain for him, "but we have captured more vampires than any two other patrols together."

My commander was shooting me subtle glares as though I were an impudent child about to be beaten. Zephon however smirked, "She has spirit," I was vaguely annoyed that he spoke about me rather than to me but this time I held my tongue. "And you boy, what think you?"

Vance looked up rather indifferently, "Whether I am young or old I live to serve the Order," he spoke calmly and without false reverence, "I serve it well now and just as well in the future. I am young sir yes, but I serve the Order as well as any older man."

Zephon smiled this time, "Well said young sir. Far more eloquently put than your sister here." I felt my face flare red but again said nothing. It seems I was to be punished for my outburst by way of humiliation.

"I did not invite you here to mock you," Zephon announced, obviously seeing the scarlet shade of my face. "I have a mission for you both. Xathuas here claims that you are the best in this side of Nosgoth. Indeed he has put your name, Vance, forward to be consideration to be transferred to the stronghold in the future when you have more experience to act upon."

I felt a jolt of envy and could not help myself glaring at my brother with undisguised spite. Vance however did not even smile and merely replied, "I am honoured sire. If it shall come to pass then I shall endeavour to serve the Order there as well as I have here."

Zephon smiled genuinely at my brother's motivation. "Anyway my young warriors as I said I have a mission for you. We have caught wind of some rumours about the vampire Vorador living nearby in the dark forest. Of course these are just rumours which is why we are not looking into them too deeply. Vorador has eluded us for decades so we are not going to indulge this rumour however we choose to investigate it. We have decided to send you two into the forest."

"Alone?" I couldn't help but blurt out hoping that my fear was not betrayed by my tone. The black forest was dangerous even for those as experienced as us. I did not see how sending two of us into a possible ambush would benefit anyone least of all us.

Zephon raised an eyebrow in my general direction, "Is there a problem? We seriously doubt that Vorador lives in the forest, we have sent people in before now and they have found nothing. We should not waste valuable resources and men to search what will probably be an empty forest. Instead we shall send you two. You shall investigate and if you find anything report back and the main force shall take over, otherwise you will just be going for a walk in the woods."

My brother replied before I could argue against the decision, "We would be happy to investigate on your behalf my lord. We shall leave immediately." He bowed and with it I was forced to curtsey as we left the room.

"What an honour," my brother whispered excitedly as we made for the exit. He obviously missed my look of absolute annoyance that he should volunteer our lives so carelessly.

"What if it isn't a rumour?" I hissed, "People go missing in the black forest everyday and yet you volunteer us as if we can't wait to die."

Vance looked at me blankly, his entire expression completely uncomprehending, "We have been charged to investigate the forest," he said slowly, "and that is what we shall do. We shall do our duty to the Order." He paused, "You have never minded anything like this before Veronica, is something the matter?"

I shook my head refusing to grace him with an answer; if he was too stupid to work it out I would not lower myself to explaining it. Vorador's home in the forest might be a rumour yes, but there were far more terrifying things that haunted the trees which is why hardly anyone went near there if they could help it.

We went straight to the forest. Vance was convinced that we would be home in time for dinner. Seeing as we had been out on patrol for most of the morning anything we would have taken was already with us. He was eager to get underway, he felt that if Lord Zephon were convinced that there was nothing worth fearing then that was good enough for him. He believed that the sooner we got there the sooner we would return. I wasn't so optimistic, the forest was much darker than we thought it would be. The trees conspired together to block out the natural light to keep us in darkness. I muttered an incantation under my breath and the ground around us lit up moving with us wherever we went. It was not brilliant but it would not draw the creatures of the dark towards us as a flaming torch would.

It was an eerie experience to put it lightly. Our feet sank into the mossy ground leaving deep footprints where we stepped. It was as if no living thing had walked there before and there was a strange sensation of being completely out of time as though this place existed out of our own world. The density of the trees blocked off all sound even though the town was very close by. It was as a curtain of silence veiled the trees, the only thing we could hear was our own feather light steps on the soft ground. The air was damp even though it had not rained for some time. The closure had retained the moisture and dew from the last downpour we had whilst also maintaining the heat of the warm day. It was sticky and we were both sweating, for once I thanked God that I did not have the extra protection of Vance's armour. I could hear his breath coming out in gasps as he struggled against the humidity. I shivered, even though I was far from cold. I did not like this place, it was far too quite for my liking and I feared the odd rustling that we both heard but knew could not have made ourselves.

We had been wandering around for hours and still not found anything, that said we may have been wandering in the same spot and we would not have noticed. The trees were all the same to us and we had no way of marking them adequately. We knew we had repeated ourselves at least thrice by the footprints we had left. "Vance," I sighed, "we're not going to find anything we should go."

I saw his eyes dart from side to side as if he would suddenly find something but there was nothing. He nodded grimly, I could see that he had hoped we would find something and increase our prestige but there was nothing. Now we were faced with an even greater task; trying to find our way out of the forest. We figured that if we walked in the same direction long enough we would emerge but so far this proved fruitless and we just seemed to be walking deeper and deeper into the trees. It was getting darker and colder and we could not figure out if that was a reflection of the outside world or the forest itself becoming more dense.

"Veronica!" Vance called, "Look!" I hurried to my brother's side and followed his line of sight through the trees. There was a faint green glow piercing the forest calling us towards it. "Should we take a look?" he asked me. My mind conflicted; part of me hoped that this light would lead us out of our predicament but the other part of me (the more logical one) thought that this would probably lead us to ruin. I nodded mutely, I could see no other way out of this and so we stepped into the clearing with the light.

We could see that the light was a ball of glowing green flames. It burned in a basket held by a sculpture of a skull. It was not alone either there were many of them, all identical, leading us down a path in the woods. "What do you think?" Vance asked me in barely more than a whisper. He obviously did not trust this either.

"Do we have a choice?" I asked resigning myself to my fate whatever that may be.

"We should pray to God to keep us safe," I heard my brother mutter to himself as we followed the illuminated path before us. Under my own breath I whispered every prayer I knew in a desperate attempt to ignore the feeling of foreboding that crept upon me the closer we got to whatever our destination was.

We seemed to be walking down a slope now and my sense that something was wrong was becoming more and more defined as we seemed to descend into hell itself. We felt the odd sensation of being watched but there was nothing around us save for several dark birds that were occasionally perched upon the skulls that held the ominous green fire in their mouths. Suddenly and without warning Vance pulled me aside behind a tree somewhere. I couldn't understand why he would do this until I followed his gaze and saw that we had arrived at mansion house hidden within the depths of the forest.

"Vorador?" I asked my brother but he didn't seem to agree.

"It could just be abandoned," he muttered, "abandoned and forgotten with the forest grown around it."

I shook my head in disagreement, "It's not overgrown like the rest of the forest and look," I pointed at one of the windows, "a light, there's someone in there. We should go back and tell the others."

Again Vance didn't seem impressed, "What if it's nothing? We go back and say we found a house? It could be anyone, Lord Zephon says that he doubts Vorador is here, unless we are sure it is him we should not bother them with this."

I rolled my eyes, there was some logic in his madness. If we were to advance in any way we could not afford to claim we had found Vorador when this could be nothing more than an eccentric nobleman. Still, my senses told me differently but Vance was already stealing across the grass to get near one of the windows. I wanted to follow but I decided to stay where I was in case anything happened to him. I kept my eyes fixed on him but the further away he got the harder he was to see against the dark walls of the manor. I strained my eyes to see him but he was gone. My heart was beating so loud in my chest I felt it would betray us to anyone in the area. Vance had been gone for a while and I still could not see him. I shifted slightly and then decided that if I would stick to the trees then maybe I could still escape unnoticed. I turned slightly and froze. Standing right next to me and regarding me as if they could not quite figure out what I was doing were three vampire females. They had been there the whole time and I had not noticed them despite them being within an arm's reach of me. I opened my mouth to scream for Vance but one of them was already striking out at me, she caught the side of my head and knocked me off my feet with her superior strength. I stumbled backwards and my back hit a tree. I slipped down the length of it and sank slowly to the ground. I could barely see the women now, my head felt fuzzy and they appeared to be fazing in and out of my vision. It only lasted a moment however for soon the darkness took me and I felt nothing.

TBC


	3. Summer

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Summer

I was not in my own bed that much was for sure. I knew this before I opened my eyes. The bed was much too soft, the room much too warm and devoid of the sounds of my sisters sleeping. I opened my eyes just a fraction, my head was throbbing too much for me to flood it with light just yet. The room was bright with candlelight considering I had clearly been put there to sleep. There was no one here, no vampire guard to ensure my captivity when I awoke though surely I was kept here against my will.

This was Vorador's mansion! I should be proud to have found it but I couldn't help the vague panic that rose within me. A number of Sarafan had gone missing in this forest and never returned; if they had discovered Vorador then they had clearly been unable to escape. My brother and I were renowned for our prowess in battle but we were still amateurs, even more so compared to the age-old vampire who now held us captive. On the other hand Zephon himself suspected that Vorador might live here, when we did not return then the possibility existed that they would dispatch others to find us. We had much family in the town that could demand they search. Maybe this would not be so bad…even if my brother and I were killed in the meantime at least our brothers would find them and avenge us. I would have to hold on to this hope; it shall be my comfort in the days to come. No doubt they will torture me and subject me to such horrors I shall surely go mad before they kill me.

I opened my eyes fully and pushed myself up against the pillows. Considering I was a prisoner I was in a room of luxury. It was larger than the room I shared with four of my Sarafan sisters in the barracks and a hundred times more comfortable. The bed could have slept three others in it and I would still have had enough room to spread out. The sheets were the best that could be bought and I couldn't help but wonder how a vampire who lived in the deepest forests could acquire such goods. The room was lightly decorated with a painting of a beautiful woman on the wall. Even though she was clearly one of _them_ her pale blue skin and soft smile radiated a sense of calm and quiet dignity.

There was a large wardrobe opposite the bed with the door left open so I may gaze upon the contents. I caught sight of a number of exquisite gowns, the likes of which I had only ever seen on the richest women in Nosgoth. I was tempted, oh so tempted, to get up and touch them but I imagined it to be some trickery of the vampires. I did not know what game they were playing, perhaps showing me all this finery to then increase my torment when they threw me into a cell without warmth and light. Besides I had sworn myself to the meagre life of the Sarafan sorceress and had no need for luxury or fine gowns.

A quiet knock at the door caught my full attention and I felt my mind instinctively search for an appropriate spell to protect myself. The door opened and the woman who entered took me off my guard. She must have been older than me, she must have killed hundreds of my kind and yet she looked so timid, not the attacking monster I had prepared myself for at all. She was exceedingly beautiful wearing, I noted, a similar gown to those that had been placed before my sight. She had blonde hair that hung about her face in a mass of curls and a face that looked like it had been hammered from fine china. The paleness of her skin was the only thing that alerted me to her vampiric state, otherwise she could have passed for a very beautiful noblewoman. She was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl and a glass of something (rather ironically) red, and it smelled, oh! How it smelled! I could not remember food calling to me so! My stomach gave a distant rumble and I realised quite suddenly how hungry I actually was. I had not eaten before coming to the forest and had no knowledge of how long I had been unconscious.

"You're awake," the woman noted. She spoke quietly and yet every word was clear. "I've brought you some food, it is not much but I thought you might not want to come down for dinner." I did not know why she treated me so but I would not pass up this opportunity for food. The girl who had devoted her life to the Sarafan screamed inside to resist them, to throw the food in her face and burn her with the first spell I could mutter…but my hunger was too strong and my head to dizzy to fight back, for the moment at least.

She placed the tray lightly on my lap and I practically drooled over the soup she presented to me. "If you do not like the wine I can fetch you some water." I noticed her blush somewhat, "It has been so long since we had guests I am sorry to say we were unprepared."

I did not reply, instead I picked up the spoon and attempted to eat as much of the soup I could as quickly as I could without degrading myself by drinking from the bowl.

She watched me with patience for a moment before she spoke again, "My name is Emmeline, yours?"

"Veronica," I replied between gulps. She was looking at my head now, examining the back of it. I could still feel where the vampires had beaten me, one clean smash across the back, it was still throbbing now though the wine was helping to ease the pain.

"I'm sorry, my sisters hurt you. They can be rough sometimes."

I stopped eating for a moment, "where is my brother?"

She looked genuinely puzzled, "you're brother?"

"The man who was with me," I pressed hastily, "I was not alone, my brother came with me, you captured him too did you not?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry my sisters did not find anyone else, only you."

I knew I should not believe her but she seemed so sincere. She radiated trust but I think deep down I knew this could be a trick. I nodded and turned to my soup again, if my brother had indeed eluded their detection then he would most certainly return with friends to aid my escape and capture these fiends.

"Where am I?" I asked innocently.

Emmeline smiled at me, she knew I was not dull and that the crest above my left breast told them that I knew exactly where I was. "Why you're in the manor house of Lord Vorador," she replied as innocently as I had asked. "You have nothing to fear though," she added quickly as though I had given her any indication that I may be frightened, "he has given strict orders that you are to be treated as a guest, doubly so considering the undue force that my sisters used upon you."

"Your guest?" I scathed, "don't you mean prisoner?"

She continued to smile upon me, "I mean guest. You may leave when you are ready. I would not recommend it for the moment; wait until you're head has healed. When you are better you may leave if you wish it. Now, I shall leave you to your rest, if you desire anything I can be found in the second door on the left from here." She got up and even straightened the covers where she had been sitting before she left. "Good sleep," she whispered as she left, carefully closing the door so it did not even click.

She did not return and with her gone I dropped the need for etiquette. I picked the bowl to my mouth and drank deeply, ignoring the fact that it was still slightly too hot for consumption. I gulped the wine down which cooled my throat and left me feeling pleasantly full. I dropped the tray beside the bed and could not help myself fall back against the pillows, pulling the covers up to my chin. My brother had not been captured as far as I knew, Emmeline could have been lying but there was something about her that made me trust her. No doubt she had been exaggerating when she said I could leave at my will, but as she said I was not ready to test that option just yet. I could feel my eyelids growing heavy, the heat of the room, the softness of the bed and the food were all contributing to a pleasant feeling of drowsiness. If my brother had escaped capture then there could be no harm me waiting here a little while at least until my head stopped hurting…

* * *

Emmeline closed the door softly and turned down the hall. She had instructed that the candles in this corridor be left burning tonight should Veronica need her after all, but she would probably sleep through the rest of the night. Her sisters could be far too rough sometimes. She entered her own chamber, as she said, the second on the left. Her chamber was considerably larger though, as all her sisters had, she had a small lounging area leading into her bedroom. She let her door close and made straight for her bedroom. She wanted to be well rested for dealing with Veronica in the morning. When she had her wits about her no doubt she would be more formidable than she had been tonight, recovering from concussion and half asleep.

"How is she?" Emmeline jumped, in her longing for her bed she had not noticed Vorador sitting near the fireplace. Her fright fleeting, she took the seat next to him.

"She is fine. She asked if her brother was here and if she was a prisoner here."

Vorador kept his black eyes on the flames, "and you said?"

Emmeline let her head drop onto his shoulder and his arm came around her, "the truth, there is no man here and that she could leave when she wants."

"We let the boy go." Vorador told her, "I have no need of him here and if he returns then he can restock the pantry for a month or so. As for her…"

"Veronica," she interrupted him, "her name is Veronica."

"Veronica then, will she be well enough to leave soon?"

"Not for a few days I think," Emmeline replied honestly. Veronica's wound was greater than she had expected. It would take over a week to heal completely and until then the woods were hardly the best place for her to roam.

"Enough time to turn her you think?" Vorador asked.

Emmeline giggled, "it took less time than that to turn me and I came here with the sole purpose of destroying you."

Vorador nodded and smiled on his young bride, "how could I forget?" he rested his head upon hers where it lay. "Are you expecting her tonight?" he asked, knowing her well enough to know she would have offered her services to their injured guest.

Emmeline pulled away and shook her head, "No, she will probably sleep through the night, possibly until gone noon tomorrow, she will need her rest."

"Good," Vorador stood up and took Emmeline's hand, "I have a desire to stay here tonight."

TBC


End file.
